Suspension for vehicles



April 26, 1938.

Original Filed July 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Pusan: 00, 40

BY JEAN MEAC/ZA aif -u ATTORNEY A ril 26, 1938.

P. DUPUY ET AL 2,115,159 SUSPENSION FOR, VEHICLES I Original Filed July 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IS'a.

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,115,159 SUSPENSION FOR- VEHICLES newed February 28, 1938.

24 Claims.

This invention relates to shock-absorbing devices for automobiles and other vehicles and more particularly to pneumatic shock-absorbing and suspension devices which will dampen rolling action due to uneven shocks upon the wheels of the vehicle.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for increasing the flexibility of the pneumatic suspension device when wheels at opposite sides of the vehicle move toward or away from the vehicle at the same time, or when the axle moves vertically and parallel to its original position, and to decrease the flexibility or increase the resistance of the shock absorbing device when only one wheel moves toward or from the vehicle, or when the axle oscillates angularly about its middle portion.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pneumatic suspension and shock-absorbing device with means for selectively controlling the vertical and angular movementof the vehicle relative to the wheels, and to provide automatic means for regulating the forces opposing such motion.

The pneumatic suspension and shock-absorbing devices may be in the form of closed cylinders filled with compressible gas attached to the vehicle body having pistons attached to the axles or other wheel supporting means, or they may comprise deformable gas filled containers which change shape with the displacements of the nonsuspended parts of the vehicle relative to the suspended parts. When such deformable containers are used, the suspension is controlled in such a manner that the areas of the container in contact with the suspended parts or with the parts not suspended, or with each of said parts, vary with the relative position of the suspended and nonsuspended parts in such a manner as to obtain 40 any desired variation in flexibility, as described in our copending application 611,364 filed May 14, 1932 of which the present application is a continuation in part.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to its use in conjunction with a vehicle having an axle which may move toward and away from the vehicle as a unit, which motion may be called rectilinear motion, and which may oscillate angularly with respect to the vehicle, which mo- 50 tion may be called angular oscillations. The in-,

vention is not, however, confined to a vehicle supported in this manner, since it may also be used with vehicles in which each wheel is supported separately and without having axles connectin them.

In France June 19,

I The improved results indicated may be obtained by floating the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle between gas containers so inter-connected by small tubes that flexibility is increased upon rectilinear motion of the wheels, 5 while flexibility is decreased during angular oscillation and at the same time any rolling motion is efl'ectively dampened. The degree of flexibility of the suspension and the anti-rolling action may be controlled either manually or by automatic de- 10 vices actuated by the centrifugal force of the-vehicle or by its lateral displacement.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the general arrangement of the cushioning device using deformable containers.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic .view illustrating the means for controlling the flexibility of the suspension and the anti-rolling action by means of a four-way valve which may be operated manually or mechanically. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a type of four-way valve such as shown in Figure'2. Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of means for operating the four-way valve from a. remote location.

Figure 5 illustrates a device for mechanically operating such a valve by displacement of the body of the vehicle, relative to the wheel supports, and Figure 6 illustrates the valve to be operated thereby, which valve is shown as very much enlarged in comparison with Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are diagrammatic illustrations of a device arranged for controlling the suspension automatically by means of an electrically operated valve, and Figures 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views of means whereby such a valve 35 as shown in Figure '7 can be operated by motion of the steering wheel.

Figure 11 illustrates an arrangement of a valve similar to that shown in Figure 7 with cylinder and piston shock absorbing devices. 40

In the drawings the valves have been shown as enlarged, in comparison to the size of the suspension devices, in order to illustrate them more clearly.

In Figure 1 the numeral l designates a portion of the chassis at a. location adjacent a pair of wheels of the vehicle. There are positioned be-' tween the portions of the chassis adjacent to each wheel and the opposite portions of the axle 2, deformable containers 3 and 3', which are preferably of hollow rubber or other flexible material adapted to contain a gas under pressure. The chassis may be provided with bosses 4 and 4' joined to the underneath portions of the chassis at 5 and 5', which bosses rest upon the deformable containers 3 and 3. The deformable containers Ill and ID are supported by members 38 and 38' which are part of the chassis The axle 2 may be provided with bosses 21 and 21' of any suitable shape, to give the desired variation in resistance to deformation. The two containers 3 and 3' are connected by small non-deformable tubes H and H to the deformable containers l8 and I8.

With this arrangement any movement due to a vertical displacement of the axle toward the chassis will cause the containers 3 and 3' to be compressed and to discharge respectively into the containers l8 and I8. Since the same movement will expand the containers l0 and ID, the increase in volume of IO and .lll will compensate for the decrease in volume of the containers 3 and 3'. The resistance in such a case is due to the resistance to passage of the gas through the small tubes H and II and to variations in the shapes of the bosses 4, 4 and 21, 21'. In the event of a rolling motion of the chassis, the movement of the axle relative to the chassis will be a rotation about a center C. If the movement is in the direction of the arrows f, the containers 3 and Ill will be compressed and will so decrease in volume while the containers 3' and ID will increase in volume and the rolling of the vehicle will be resisted. The reactions are produced very rapidly with the variations of pressure and of area on which the pressure acts, so that the rolling is limited to a minimum amount. During compression of any of the containers, the contacting surface is such as provided by the bosses to cause an increase in the contacting area with increased displacement.

Figure 2 illustrates a four-way valve by which the communication of the containers with each other may be varied. In this figure, 50 is a four-way valve with a body 49, having passageways 44, 45, 46 and 41, and a plug 48 having passageways 52. A lever or handle 5| is connected to the plug 48 to rotate it within the body 48.

The passageways 44, 45, 46 and 41 connect respectively with tubes 40, 4|, 42, and 43. Tube 48 is in communication with container 3, tube 4| with container l0, tube 42 with container 3, and tube 43 with container l0. When the plug 48 is in the position shown in Figure 2, containers 3 and H) on one side of the vehicle are put in communication and containers 3' and III on the other side of the vehicle are put into communication. By making a 'quarter turn of the handle 5| in either direction, thus rotating the plug 48, containers 3 and ID are put into communication on the one hand and containers 3' and ID on the other. By making a one-eighth turn of the handle 5|, the passageways 44. 45, 46 and 41 are closed to make each container act by itself.

When the vehicle is on a straight road and rolling is not feared, the four-way valve 50 may be actuated to put into communication the con tainers 3 and H) on the one side and 3' and ID on the other. When the road is such as to cause rolling, the valve 50 may be actuated to put into communication the containers 3 and Ill on the one hand and 3' and I8 on the other. When resistance to displacement of the axle relative to the chassis is desired, the valve 50 may be actuated to cause all of the containers to act independently of each other, as hereinbefore described.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the handle or lever 5| is attached to the valve stem 6| and the plate 53 serves as a bearing surface for supporting and contains a packing or sealing material 59. The

numeral 60 designates a combined packing gland and holding member.

Figure 4 illustrates means for controlling the suspension from a remote location in the vehicle; 66 is an operating lever, pivoted at 61 to the chassis, which may be manually or mechanically 'operated and which is pivotally connected at 63 with the operating rod 64 pivotally connected at 65 with the valve lever 5|. When the operating lever 66 is in the position A, containers 3 and I8 may be in communication on the one hand and containers 3 and H! on the other. When the operating lever 66 is in position B, all of the containers will be out of communication with each other, and when lever 66 is in position C, the containers 3 and III will be in communication on the one hand and containers 3' and ID on the other. In this way, the operator of the vehicle has complete control of the suspension. Other.

methods of effecting remote control, such as a flexible wire within a tube, may also be used, and the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus described.

The action of centrifugal force or lateral force on the chassis and the body may also-be transmitted to the suspension by a mechanical part which may be used-to automatically control the four-way valve 58, or other device for controlling the flow of the compressed gas in the connecting pipes 48, 4|, 42 and 43. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 wherein a rod 2| is carried by the body This rod 2| can slide in the guide 28 attached to the body of the vehicle. Two springs 22 and 23 maintain the rod 2| in the middle portion under normal conditions. The other end of the rod 2| is joined at 2|a to the axle 2. It is apparent that every displacement of the axle 2 relative to the body in the direction of the arrows 1 will bring about a displacement of the rod 2| relative to the body I This member 58' and at the same time cause compression of the spring 22 or the spring 23, depending upon which direction the displacement takes place. The movement of this rod 2| and the considerable force which it puts into play can control the valve 58 or other similar part directly. For example, the lever 28 may be pivoted at 29 to the bracket 30 depending from the chassis The upper end of the lever 28 may carry a pin or roller 3| adapted to slide or roll in the slot 32 in the slide block 33 adapted to slide up and down between the bracket 38 and the bracket 30' also fixed to the chassis The lever 28 is provided with a slot 34 in which a pin or roller 35 carried by the rod 2| may slide or roll. When the rod 2| moves I "position E and the containers 3 and III will be put into communication on the one hand and the containers 3 and In on the other, but when the displacement is of lesser magnitude, the handle 68 will be in position D and all of the containers will be sealed one from the other, thus automatically and eflectively controlling the suspension device. Other means may, of course, be used for accomplishing this mechanical actuation of the valve 50. If desired, to obtain a greater throw of the block 33 the slot 32 maybe curved or slanted upwardly on each side 01' the center of the slot.

In Figure 7 an example of an arrangement for controlling the suspension automaticallyby electric means has been shown. In this figure .II is an electromagnetically operated four-way slide valve in which I2 is the valve body having ports I3, I4, 15 and I8 and TI is a sliding member containing passageways l8, l8 and I9, 19. The numeral 88 designates an electromagnetic coil, and 8| is a spring joined to the body I2 at 82 and to the slide 11 at 83.

For controlling the valve, a tube I2, of glass or other suitable non-conducting material and convex on its lower surface, containing a drop of mercury I3, or other suitable electrically con ductive material, is carried on the vehicle. This drop of mercury is of sufiicient size to connect electrodes I 4-11 and I5-a or electrodes I4b and I5-b, when centrifugal force or the lateral movement of the car propels the drop of mercury toward either end of the tube a suiiicient distance. Electrodes H-a and I4--b are connected directly to one of the terminals of a convenient source of electricity, such as the battery I6 and the electrodes I 5a and I5-b are connected to the other terminal of the battery in series with the electromagnetic coil 88.

When the mercury is in its normal position in the center of the tube, the electric circuit is broken and the tension of the spring 8| holds the slide 'I'I so that the openings 13, I4, I5 and I6 are in juxtaposition with passageways I8, I8, and the containers 3 and I8 are in communication on the one hand and containers 3' and III on the other. When the centrifugal force or lateral movement of the vehicle propels the drop of mercury toward either end of the tube a suflicient distance, the circuit is closed and the electro-magnet 88 is energized and, in opposition to the force of the spring 8I, moves the slide 'II so that the passageways 19, 19 are in juxtaposition with the open- 'ings I3, 14, I5, and 1.6, thus putting the containers 3 and I into communication on the one hand and containers 3' and II) on the other. When the circuit is broken by the return of the mercury to the center ofthe tube, the spring returns the slide to its former position.

In order to prevent inopportune movements of the mercury, the tube I2 may be filled with any non-conducting liquid, for example with an oil of suitable viscosity. In Figure 8 the control of the tube I2 may be modified in such a way that the valve II, having a different slider "a with passageways 18a, 18a and 19a, 19a, will ordinarily be held by the action of the electromagnet so that the openings I3, 14, I and IE will be in juxtaposition with the passageways 18a. The tube I2 has electrodes I4 and I5 in the central portion so that the circuit'is closed and the electromagnet 80 is energized when the vehicle is in a normal position.v When the centrifugal force or lateral movement of the vehicle propels the drop of mercury toward either end, the circuit is bro-.

ken and the passageways 19a are brought into juxtaposition with the ports I3, I4, I5 and 16 by the action of spring 8 I. When the vehicle returns to its normal position, the electro-magnet is again energized and pulls the passageways 18a into juxtaposition with the ports I3, I4, 15 and I6, in opposition to the force exerted by spring 8|.

With the arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8, a single tube I2 may be used to control the suspensions provided and operated in connection with each of the pairs of wheels-of a vehicle by a suitable arrangement of wiring.

It is apparent that other arrangements of the electro-magnet and the passageways and outlets to the valve may be made to give other desired cooperations between the containers. For example, the passageways I8 and I9 or the passageways 18a and 19a might be reversed to alter the normal cooperation between the containers or the slides 11 and Ila might be provided with passageways connecting the containers 3 and 3' and the containers I0 and ID, in addition to or in place of any of the passageways 18, I9, 18a or 19a.

-Also, other devices may be used to control the electro-magnetically operated valve II. For example, a switch may be placed in the circuit in place of the tube I2, and located for convenient operation by the driver of the vehicle, or a freely swinging pendulum having contacts and operated by centrifugal force or lateral movement of the body may be utilized for opening and closing the electric circuit.

Figures 9 and show means for controlling the valve II by the action of the steering mechanism, where it is desired to secure an anti-rolling effect only on the turns. In these figures, 81 designates a steering wheel of ordinary construction. 88 is the steering wheel shaft, surrounded by a casing 89. 90 is a disc or ring of non-conducting material, joined rigidly to the casing 89 and having mounted thereon, or set therein, a discontinuous ring 9| of electrically conductive material connected to one terminal of the battery I6 by the wire 84. The electrically conductive brush or contact 92 is rigidly joined to shaft 88 and adapted to contact the disc 98 or the ring I depending upon the relative position of shaft 88 and casing 89. The wire 85 from the brush 92 is connected in series through the coil 88 with the other terminal of the battery I6 as illustrated in Figures '7 and 11.

When the steering wheel is held in the position so that the wheels of the vehicle are straight, no current flows through the coil 88 and the ports I3, 14, I5 and I6 are in juxtaposition with the passageways I8 of the slider I1. When the steering wheel is turned, however, the brush 92 contacts the ring 9|, thereby closing the circuit and causing the ports to be in juxtaposition with passageways 19.

If desired, the fixed conductor 9i, illustrated in Figure 10, may be positioned in the nonconductor 98so that the brush 92 normally contacts with the conductor 9| and so that upon movement of the steering wheel the contact will be broken; thus providing an electrical contact operating similarly to that illustrated in Figure 8.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 11 the shock absorbers are of the type described in the Mercier Patent 1,914,814 of June 20, 1933, in which the cylinders 93 and 93' are carried by. the body of the vehicle and the pistons 94 and 94 are actuated by the movement of the .wheels or axle relative to the body through the connecting rods 95 and 95'. With this arrangement the valve II without the coil 80 may be operated mechanically or manually by devices similar to those heretofore shown in conjunction with valve 50. Also, the valve 50 may be operated by an electric circuit and an electromagnet in a manner similar to that described in connection with valve 1 I.

The invention is by no means limited to the ways which have been represented and described and which have been chosen as examples only. Other adaptations may be used; for example, the deformable containers between which the moving portions of the vehicle are floated may be replaced by cylinders and pistons providing pneumatic cushions of variable volumes. Also, the invention may be applied to vehicles without an axle in which the axle is replaced by a movable member attached to the wheel, which member in turn rests between the containers. It is apparent that the suspension and anti-rolling device described herein may be applied to each of the pairs of wheels of a vehicle or to a single pair of wheels.

The terms used in describing the invention are used as terms of description and not as terms of limitation, and it is intended that all equivalents of these terms be included within the. scope of the invention claimed.

What we claim is:

1. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are positioned between deformable gas containers, and pipes connecting the gas containers beneath the wheel supports to the gas containers above the wheel supports on the opposite sides, at least one of said containers contacting a surface shaped to rapidly increase its area in contact with the container upon displacement of the adjacent support towards said container.

2. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, said containers having pipes leading therefrom, and all of said pipes having communication with a four-way valve, and means for automatically operating said four-way valve by lateral movement of said body relative to said wheel supports.

3. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, said hicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, said containers having pipes leading therefrom, and all of said pipes having communication with a fourway valve, and electro-magnetic means for operating said valve.

5. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, said containers having pipes leading therefrom, and all of said pipes having communication with a fourway valve, electro-magnetic means for operating said valve, and means for controlling said electromagnetic means automatically by displacement through movement of the vehicle.

6. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, said containers having pipes leading therefrom, and all of said pipes having communications with a fourway valve, electro-magnetic means for operating said valve, and means for controlling said electromagnetic means by movements of the steering mechanism of the vehicle.

'7. An anti-rolling and suspension .device in which the wheel supports on opposite. sides of the vehicle are suspended between pneumatic containers, means for connecting the upper and lower containers on the same sides, and means for alternatively connecting the lower containers with the upper containers on opposite and the same sides.

8. An anti-rolling and suspension device in which the Wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended between pneumatic containers, means for connecting the upper and lower containers on the same sides, means for alternatively connecting the lower containers with the upper containers on the opposite and the same sides, and means for disconnecting each of said containers from each other.

9. An anti-rolling and suspension device in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are positioned between deformable gas containers, means for connecting the containers beneath the wheel supports with the containers above the wheel supports on the same sides, and means for alternatively connecting the containers beneath the wheel supports with the containers above the wheel supports on the opposite and the same sides.

10. An anti-rolling and suspension device in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are positioned between deformable gas containers, means for connecting the containers beneath the wheel supports with the containers above the wheel supports on the same sides, means for alternatively connecting the containers .beneath the wheel supports with the containers above the wheel supports on the opposite and the same sides, and means for disconnecting each of said containers from each other.

11. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles comprising deformable gas containers positioned above and below the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle, connecting pipes leading from said containers and communicating with a valve, and means for automatically operating said valve to vary the communication between said containers.

12. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles, comprising deformable gas containers positioned above and below the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle, and at least one of said containers having a small portion of its area in contact with a rigid convex projecting surface when the vehicle is in the normal position in relation to thewheel supports and having a larger portion of its area in contact with said projecting surface and with a surface adjacent to said projecting surface when the container is displaced toward said projecting surface.

13. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles, comprising deformable gas containers positioned above and below the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle, and each of said containers having a small portion of its area in contact with a rigid convex projecting surface when the vehicle is in the normal position in relation to the wheel supports and having a larger portion of its area in contact with said projecting surface and with a surface adjacent to said projecting surface, when the container is displaced toward said projecting surface.

14. A suspension device for vehicles comprising gas containers of variable capacity on one side of the vehicle connected by tubes with gas containers of variable capacity on the opposite side of the vehicle, said tubes having a common valve adapted to vary the communication between the several capacities. 1

15. An anti-rolling device for vehicles comprising pneumatic containers in which a fluid is compressed by relative movement between the wheel supports and the body or the vehicle, said containers having pipes leading therefrom and each 01 said pipes having independent communication with a common valve.

16. An anti-rolling device for vehicles comprising a plurality of pneumatic containers in which the fluid is compressed by relative movement between the wheel supports and the body of the vehicle, closed conduits leading from each'of said containers to a valve adapted to alter the communication or said containers with each other.

1'7. A device as defined in claim 16 in which the valve is adapted to put into communication with each other containers in which the fluid is compressed by movement, or the wheel support relative to thebody oi the vehicle.

18. A device as defined in claim 16 in which the container in which the compressed fluid tends to force'the body toward the support. on one side of the vehicle is connected through the valve to the container in which the compressed fluid tends to force the body away from the support on the other side of the vehicle. 7

19. A device as defined in claim 16 in which the valve is constructed and arranged to put into communication, in one position, a container in which the fluid is compressed by movement of wheel.

the body toward thesupport on one side of the vehicle with a container in which the fluid is compressed by the movement of the body away from the support on the other side of the vehicle and, in another position, to put into communication a container in which the fluid is compressed by movement oi. the vehicle toward the support with a container in which the fluid is expanded by movement of the vehicle toward the support.

20. A device as defined in claim 16 in which the valve is actuated by the movement of the body relative to the support.

the valve is actuated by movement of the steering 23. A suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sidesof the vehicle are positioned between deformable gas containers, and pipes connecting pairs of said gas containers together, at least one container of each pair being in contact with surfaces shaped. to rapidly increase the areas of contact upondisplacement of the adjacent support toward each said container.

24. An anti-rolling and suspension device for vehicles in which the wheel supports on opposite sides of the vehicle are suspended from the body of said vehicle between pneumatic containers, the lower containers being connected to the upper containers on the opposite sides by pipes sufliciently small to restrict the rapid flow of a fluid therethrough,v and at least one container of each pair being in contact with surfaces shaped to rapidly increase the areas of contact upon displacement of the adjacent support toward each said PIERRE DUPUY. JEAN MERCIER. 

